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New Huquq Office in Shuhada, Badakhshan to Benefit 50,000 Citizens

13.07.2018

Yesterday, representatives of Badakhshan’s Governor Office, line departments and civil society attended the groundbreaking ceremony for a new Huquq office in Shuhada district. The province’s Department of Justice provides the building land and is responsible for monitoring the construction works. The Afghan-German Cooperation’s programme for strengthening the rule of law in Afghanistan (RoL) funds the project at a total cost of about AFN 4.4 million. Around 50,000 citizen in the district will benefit from improved access to justice.

The head of Badakhshan’s Department of Justice, Mr Aminullah Amini, emphasised: “We are glad to inaugurate the first Huquq building in Shuhada district soon. Currently, most Huquq officers are working in private shops due to a lack of working space.”

Huquqs represent the Ministry of Justice on district level and provide legal services to Afghan citizens. They serve as dispute resolution bureaus, playing an important role in resolving civil conflicts peacefully. Currently, the Huquq officers in Shuhada district work in a rental building with limited space. Once their new office is finished, it will be a visible access point to justice for citizens living in the district.

Speaking on behalf of the governor’s office, the head of Badakhshan’s Department of Economy, Mr Abdul Hasib Daqiq stated: “This project is very important for the people in Shuhada district. We are very grateful for the Afghan-German Cooperation’s support in the legal sector.”

Badakhshan’s Department of Justice initiated the new Huquq office’s construction to establish an adequate work place for the officers. Citizens will benefit from an easily accessible and secure building where they can seek legal support.

The programme Promotion of the Rule of Law in Afghanistan (RoL) is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The programme aims at ensuring the rule of law, a well-functioning judicial system and legal security in Afghanistan. To ensure legal security for all citizens, RoL has been supporting so-called Huquq bureaus which handled more than 77,000 civil cases since 2013. In the same time, to support higher legal education, RoL provided more than 30,000 books to law and sharia faculties, organised more than 150 courses on legal topics for students and lecturers and awarded more than 60 students with scholarships. RoL further trained almost 13,000 police staff to carry out duties according to law. The programme also emphasises promoting women’s rights and strengthening their access to justice as well as the job market.